2002 CHRYSLER CARAVAN charging

BATTERY SYSTEM DIAGNOSIS
CONDITION POSSIBLE CAUSES CORRECTION
THE BATTERY STATE OF
CHARGE CANNOT BE
MAINTAINED.1. The battery has an
incorrect size or rating for
this vehicle.1. Refer to Battery System Specifications for the
proper specifications. Replace an incorrect
battery, as required.
2. The battery terminal
connections are loose or
corroded.2. Refer to Battery Cable for the proper cable
diagnosis and testing procedures. Clean and
tighten the battery terminal connections, as
required.
3. The electrical system
ignition-off draw is excessive.3. Refer to the IGNITION-OFF DRAW TEST
Standard Procedure for the proper test
procedures. Repair the faulty electrical system, as
required.
4. The battery is faulty. 4. Test the battery using the Micro 420 battery
tester. Refer to Standard Procedures for
additional test procedures. Replace the faulty
battery, as required.
5. The starting system is
faulty.5. Determine if the starting system is performing
to specifications. Refer to Starting System for the
proper starting system diagnosis and testing
procedures. Repair the faulty starting system, as
required.
6. The charging system is
faulty.6. Determine if the charging system is performing
to specifications. Refer to Charging System for
charging system diagnosis and testing
procedures. Repair the faulty charging system, as
required.
7. Electrical loads exceed the
output of the charging
system.7. Inspect the vehicle for aftermarket electrical
equipment which might cause excessive electrical
loads.
8. Slow driving or prolonged
idling with high-amperage
draw loads in use.8. Advise the vehicle operator, as required.
THE BATTERY WILL NOT
ACCEPT A CHARGE.1. The battery is faulty. 1. Test the battery using the Micro 420 battery
tester.. Charge or replace the faulty battery, as
required.
ABNORMAL BATTERY DISCHARGING
Any of the following conditions can result in abnor-
mal battery discharging:
1. A faulty or incorrect charging system compo-
nent. Refer to Charging System for additional charg-
ing system diagnosis and testing procedures.
2. A faulty or incorrect battery. Use Micro 420
tester and refer to Battery System for additional bat-
tery diagnosis and testing procedures.
3. A faulty circuit or component causing excessive
ignition-off draw.
4. Electrical loads that exceed the output of the
charging system. This can be due to equipmentinstalled after manufacture, or repeated short trip
use.
5. A faulty or incorrect starting system component.
Refer to Starting System for the proper starting sys-
tem diagnosis and testing procedures.
6. Corroded or loose battery posts and/or terminal
clamps.
7. Slow driving speeds (heavy traffic conditions) or
prolonged idling, with high-amperage draw loads in
use.
8F - 4 BATTERY SYSTEMRS
BATTERY SYSTEM (Continued)
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(4) Inspect the battery thermowrap for tears,
cracks, deformation or other damage. Replace any
battery thermal guard that has been damaged.
(5) Inspect the battery built-in test indicator sight
glass(if equipped) for an indication of the battery con-
dition. If the battery is discharged, charge as
required. Refer to Standard Procedures for the
proper battery built-in indicator test procedures. Also
refer to Standard Procedures for the proper battery
charging procedures.
SPECIFICATIONS
The battery Group Size number, the Cold Cranking
Amperage (CCA) rating, and the Reserve Capacity
(RC) rating or Ampere-Hours (AH) rating can be
found on the original equipment battery label. Be
certain that a replacement battery has the correct
Group Size number, as well as CCA, and RC or AH
ratings that equal or exceed the original equipment
specification for the vehicle being serviced. Battery
sizes and ratings are discussed in more detail below.
²Group Size- The outside dimensions and ter-
minal placement of the battery conform to standards
established by the Battery Council International
(BCI). Each battery is assigned a BCI Group Size
number to help identify a correctly-sized replace-
ment.
²Cold Cranking Amperage- The Cold Crank-
ing Amperage (CCA) rating specifies how much cur-
rent (in amperes) the battery can deliver for thirty
seconds at -18É C (0É F). Terminal voltage must not
fall below 7.2 volts during or after the thirty second
discharge period. The CCA required is generally
higher as engine displacement increases, depending
also upon the starter current draw requirements.
²Reserve Capacity- The Reserve Capacity (RC)
rating specifies the time (in minutes) it takes for bat-
tery terminal voltage to fall below 10.5 volts, at a
discharge rate of 25 amperes. RC is determined with
the battery fully-charged at 26.7É C (80É F). This rat-
ing estimates how long the battery might last after a
charging system failure, under minimum electrical
load.
²Ampere-Hours- The Ampere-Hours (AH) rat-
ing specifies the current (in amperes) that a battery
can deliver steadily for twenty hours, with the volt-
age in the battery not falling below 10.5 volts. This
rating is also sometimes identified as the twenty-
hour discharge rating.
BATTERY CLASSIFICATIONS & RATINGS
Part NumberBCI Group Size
ClassificationCold Cranking
AmperageReserve
CapacityAmpere -
HoursLoad Test
Amperage
4686158AB 34 500 110 Minutes 60 250
4727159AB 34 600 120 Minutes 66 300
4727242AB DIN H6 600 120 Minutes 66 300
5033235AA 34 700 95 Minutes 48 350
Fig. 3 Clean Battery Terminal Post - Typical
1 - TERMINAL BRUSH
2 - BATTERY CABLE
3 - BATTERY
8F - 6 BATTERY SYSTEMRS
BATTERY SYSTEM (Continued)
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SPECIAL TOOLS
BATTERY SYSTEM SPECIAL TOOLS
BATTERY
DESCRIPTION
There are three different batteries available on this
model. Vehicles equipped with a diesel engine utilize
a spiral wound plate designed battery with recombi-
nation technology. This is a maintenance-free battery
that is capable of delivering more power than a con-
ventional battery. This additional power is required
by a diesel engine during cold cranking. Vehicles
equipped with a gasoline engine utilize a conven-
tional battery. Refer to the following information for
detailed differences and descriptions of these batter-
ies.
SPIRAL PLATE BATTERY - DIESEL ENGINE
Spiral plate technology takes the elements of tradi-
tional batteries - lead and sulfuric acid - to the next
level. By tightly winding layers of spiral grids and
acid-permeated vitreous separators into cells, the
manufacturer has developed a battery with more
power and service life than conventional batteries the
same size. The spiral plate battery is completely, per-
manently sealed. Through gas recombination, hydro-
gen and oxygen within the battery are capturedduring normal charging and reunited to form the
water within the electrolyte, eliminating the need to
add distilled water. Therefore, these batteries have
non-removable battery vent caps (Fig. 4). Watercan-
notbe added to this battery.
The acid inside an spiral plate battery is bound
within the vitreous separators, ending the threat of
acid leaks. This feature allows the battery to be
installed in any position anywhere in the vehicle.
Spiral plate technology is the process by which the
plates holding the active material in the battery are
wound tightly in coils instead of hanging flat, like
conventional batteries. This design has a lower inter-
nal resistance and also increases the active material
surface area.
WARNING: NEVER EXCEED 14.4 VOLTS WHEN
CHARGING A SPIRAL PLATE BATTERY. PERSONAL
INJURY AND/OR BATTERY DAMAGE MAY RESULT.
Due to the maintanance-free design, distilled water
cannot be added to this battery. Therefore, if more
than 14.4 volts are used during the spiral plate bat-
tery charging process, water vapor can be exhausted
through the pressure-sensitive battery vents and lost
for good. This can permanently damage the spiral
plate battery. Never exceed 14.4 volts when charging
a spiral plate battery. Personal injury and/or battery
damage may result.
MICRO 420 BATTERY TESTER
Fig. 4 MAINTENANCE-FREE DIESEL ENGINE
BATTERY
RSBATTERY SYSTEM8F-7
BATTERY SYSTEM (Continued)
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CONVENTIONAL BATTERY - GASOLINE ENGINE
Low-maintenance batteriesare used on vehicles
equipped with a gasoline engine, these batteries have
removable battery cell caps (Fig. 5). Watercanbe
added to this battery. Under normal service, the com-
position of this battery reduces gassing and water
loss at normal charge rates. However these batteries
may require additional distilled water after years of
service.
Maintenance-free batteriesare standard facto-
ry-installed equipment on this model. Male post type
terminals made of a soft lead material protrude from
the top of the molded plastic battery case (Fig. 6)to
provide the means for connecting the battery to the
vehicle electrical system. The battery positive termi-
nal post is visibly larger in diameter than the nega-
tive terminal post, for easy identification. The letters
POSandNEGare also molded into the top of the
battery case adjacent to their respective positive and
negative terminal posts for additional identification
confirmation.
This battery is designed to provide a safe, efficient
and reliable means of storing electrical energy in a
chemical form. This means of energy storage allows
the battery to produce the electrical energy required
to operate the engine starting system, as well as to
operate many of the other vehicle accessory systemsfor limited durations while the engine and/or the
charging system are not operating. The battery is
made up of six individual cells that are connected in
series. Each cell contains positively charged plate
groups that are connected with lead straps to the
positive terminal post, and negatively charged plate
groups that are connected with lead straps to the
negative terminal post. Each plate consists of a stiff
mesh framework or grid coated with lead dioxide
(positive plate) or sponge lead (negative plate). Insu-
lators or plate separators made of a non-conductive
material are inserted between the positive and nega-
tive plates to prevent them from contacting or short-
ing against one another. These dissimilar metal
plates are submerged in a sulfuric acid and water
solution called an electrolyte.
Some factory-installed batteries have a built-in test
indicator (hydrometer). The color visible in the sight
glass of the indicator will reveal the battery condi-
tion. For more information on the use of the built-in
test indicator, refer toStandard ProceduresThe
chemical composition of the metal coated plates
within the low-maintenance battery reduces battery
gassing and water loss, at normal charge and dis-
charge rates. Therefore, the battery should not
require additional water in normal service. If the
electrolyte level in this battery does become low, dis-
tilled water must be added. However, rapid loss of
Fig. 5 BATTERY CELL CAP REMOVAL/
INSTALLATION - LOW-MAINTANANCE GASOLINE
ENGINE BATTERY
1 - BATTERY CELL CAP
2 - BATTERY CASE
Fig. 6 Maintenance-Free Battery
1 - POSITIVE POST
2 - VENT
3 - CELL CAP
4 - VENT
5 - CELL CAP
6 - VENT
7 - NEGATIVE POST
8 - INDICATOR EYE (if equipped)
9 - ELECTROLYTE LEVEL
10 - PLATE GROUPS
11 - MAINTENANCE-FREE BATTERY
8F - 8 BATTERY SYSTEMRS
BATTERY (Continued)
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electrolyte can be caused by an overcharging condi-
tion. Be certain to diagnose the charging system after
replenishing the water in the battery for a low elec-
trolyte condition and before returning the vehicle to
service. Refer toCharging Systemfor additional
information.
The battery Group Size number, the Cold Cranking
Amperage (CCA) rating, and the Reserve Capacity
(RC) rating or Ampere-Hours (AH) rating can be
found on the original equipment battery label. Be
certain that a replacement battery has the correct
Group Size number, as well as CCA, and RC or AH
ratings that equal or exceed the original equipment
specification for the vehicle being serviced. Refer to
Battery Specificationsin this group for the loca-
tion of the proper factory-installed battery specifica-
tions.
OPERATION
The battery is designed to store electrical energy in
a chemical form. When an electrical load is applied to
the terminals of the battery, an electrochemical reac-
tion occurs. This reaction causes the battery to dis-
charge electrical current from its terminals. As the
battery discharges, a gradual chemical change takes
place within each cell. The sulfuric acid in the elec-
trolyte combines with the plate materials, causing
both plates to slowly change to lead sulfate. At the
same time, oxygen from the positive plate material
combines with hydrogen from the sulfuric acid, caus-
ing the electrolyte to become mainly water. The
chemical changes within the battery are caused by
the movement of excess or free electrons between the
positive and negative plate groups. This movement of
electrons produces a flow of electrical current
through the load device attached to the battery ter-
minals.
As the plate materials become more similar chem-
ically, and the electrolyte becomes less acid, the volt-
age potential of each cell is reduced. However, by
charging the battery with a voltage higher than that
of the battery itself, the battery discharging process
is reversed. Charging the battery gradually changes
the sulfated lead plates back into sponge lead and
lead dioxide, and the water back into sulfuric acid.
This action restores the difference in the electron
charges deposited on the plates, and the voltage
potential of the battery cells. For a battery to remain
useful, it must be able to produce high-amperage cur-
rent over an extended period. A battery must also be
able to accept a charge, so that its voltage potential
may be restored.
The battery is vented to release excess hydrogen
gas that is created when the battery is being charged
or discharged. However, even with these vents,
hydrogen gas can collect in or around the battery. Ifhydrogen gas is exposed to flame or sparks, it may
ignite. If the electrolyte level is low, the battery may
arc internally and explode. If the battery is equipped
with removable cell caps, add distilled water when-
ever the electrolyte level is below the top of the
plates. If the battery cell caps cannot be removed, the
battery must be replaced if the electrolyte level
becomes low.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - BATTERY
The battery must be completely charged and the
terminals should be properly cleaned and inspected
before diagnostic procedures are performed. Refer to
Battery System Cleaning for the proper cleaning pro-
cedures, and Battery System Inspection for the
proper battery inspection procedures. Refer to Stan-
dard Procedures for the proper battery charging pro-
cedures.
MICRO 420 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TESTER
The Micro420 automotive battery tester is designed
to help the dealership technicians diagnose the cause
of a defective battery. Follow the instruction manual
supplied with the tester to properly diagnose a vehi-
cle. If the instruction manual is not available refer to
the standard procedure in this section, which
includes the directions for using the Micro420 electri-
cal system tester.
WARNING: IF THE BATTERY SHOWS SIGNS OF
FREEZING, LEAKING OR LOOSE POSTS, DO NOT
TEST, ASSIST-BOOST, OR CHARGE. THE BATTERY
MAY ARC INTERNALLY AND EXPLODE. PERSONAL
INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAMAGE MAY RESULT.
WARNING: EXPLOSIVE HYDROGEN GAS FORMS IN
AND AROUND THE BATTERY. DO NOT SMOKE,
USE FLAME, OR CREATE SPARKS NEAR THE BAT-
TERY. PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAM-
AGE MAY RESULT.
WARNING: THE BATTERY CONTAINS SULFURIC
ACID, WHICH IS POISONOUS AND CAUSTIC. AVOID
CONTACT WITH THE SKIN, EYES, OR CLOTHING.
IN THE EVENT OF CONTACT, FLUSH WITH WATER
AND CALL A PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY. KEEP OUT
OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
A battery that will not accept a charge is faulty,
and must be replaced. Further testing is not
required. A fully-charged battery must be load tested
to determine its cranking capacity. A battery that is
fully-charged, but does not pass the load test, is
faulty and must be replaced.
RSBATTERY SYSTEM8F-9
BATTERY (Continued)
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NOTE: Completely discharged batteries may take
several hours to accept a charge. Refer to Standard
Procedures for the proper battery charging proce-
dures.
STANDARD PROCEDURE
STANDARD PROCEDURE - SPIRAL PLATE
BATTERY CHARGING
Vehicles equipped with a diesel engine utilize a
unique spiral plate battery. This battery has a maxi-
mum charging voltage that must be used in order to
restore the battery to its full potential, failure to use
the following spiral plate battery charging procedure
could result in damage to the battery or personal
injury.
Battery charging is the means by which the bat-
tery can be restored to its full voltage potential. A
battery is fully-charged when:
²Micro 420 electrical system tester indicates bat-
tery is OK.
²Open-circuit voltage of the battery is 12.65 volts
or above.
²Battery passes Load Test multiple times.
WARNING: IF THE BATTERY SHOWS SIGNS OF
FREEZING, LEAKING, LOOSE POSTS OR LOW
ELECTROLYTE LEVEL, DO NOT TEST, ASSIST-
BOOST, OR CHARGE. THE BATTERY MAY ARC
INTERNALLY AND EXPLODE. PERSONAL INJURY
AND/OR VEHICLE DAMAGE MAY RESULT.
CAUTION: Always disconnect and isolate the bat-
tery negative cable before charging a battery. Do
not exceed 14.4 volts while charging a battery.
CAUTION: The battery should not be hot to the
touch. If the battery feels hot to the touch, turn off
the charger and let the battery cool before continu-
ing the charging operation. Damage to the battery
may result.
After the battery has been charged to 12.6 volts or
greater, perform a load test to determine the battery
cranking capacity. Refer to Standard Procedures for
the proper battery load test procedures. If the battery
will endure a load test, return the battery to service.
If the battery will not endure a load test, it is faulty
and must be replaced.
Clean and inspect the battery hold downs, tray,
terminals, posts, and top before completing battery
service. Refer to Battery System Cleaning for the
proper battery system cleaning procedures, and Bat-tery System Inspection for the proper battery system
inspection procedures.
CHARGING A COMPLETELY DISCHARGED
BATTERY ± SPIRAL PLATE BATTERY
The following procedure should be used to recharge
a completely discharged battery. Unless this proce-
dure is properly followed, a good battery may be
needlessly replaced.
(1) Measure the voltage at the battery posts with a
voltmeter, accurate to 1/10 (0.10) volt (Fig. 7). If the
reading is below ten volts, the battery charging cur-
rent will be low. It could take some time before the
battery accepts a current greater than a few milliam-
peres. Such low current may not be detectable on the
ammeters built into many battery chargers.
(2) Disconnect and isolate the battery negative
cable. Connect the battery charger leads. Some bat-
tery chargers are equipped with polarity-sensing cir-
cuitry. This circuitry protects the battery charger and
the battery from being damaged if they are improp-
erly connected. If the battery state-of-charge is too
low for the polarity-sensing circuitry to detect, the
battery charger will not operate. This makes it
appear that the battery will not accept charging cur-
rent. See the instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the battery charger for details on how to
bypass the polarity-sensing circuitry.
(3) Battery chargers vary in the amount of voltage
and current they provide. The amount of time
required for a battery to accept measurable charging
current at various voltages is shown in the Charge
Rate Table. If the charging current is still not mea-
surable at the end of the charging time, the battery
is faulty and must be replaced. If the charging cur-
rent is measurable during the charging time, the bat-
tery may be good and the charging should be
completed in the normal manner.
Fig. 7 Voltmeter - Typical
8F - 10 BATTERY SYSTEMRS
BATTERY (Continued)
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CHARGE RATE TABLE
Voltage Hours
14.4 volts maximum up to 4 hours
13.0 to 14 volts up to 8 hours
12.9 volts or less up to 16 hours
CHARGING TIME REQUIRED
The time required to charge a battery will vary,
depending upon the following factors:
²Battery Capacity- A completely discharged
heavy-duty battery requires twice the charging time
of a small capacity battery.
²Temperature- A longer time will be needed to
charge a battery at -18É C (0É F) than at 27É C (80É
F). When a fast battery charger is connected to a cold
battery, the current accepted by the battery will be
very low at first. As the battery warms, it will accept
a higher charging current rate (amperage).
²Charger Capacity- A battery charger that
supplies only five amperes will require a longer
charging time. A battery charger that supplies eight
amperes will require a shorter charging time.
²State-Of-Charge- A completely discharged bat-
tery requires more charging time than a partially
discharged battery. Electrolyte is nearly pure water
in a completely discharged battery. At first, the
charging current (amperage) will be low. As the bat-
tery charges, the specific gravity of the electrolyte
will gradually rise.
The Battery Charging Time Table gives an indica-
tion of the time required to charge a typical battery
at room temperature based upon the battery state-of-
charge and the charger capacity.
BATTERY CHARGING TIME TABLE
Charging
Amperage5 Amps 8 Amps
Open Circuit
VoltageHours Charging @ 21É
C (70É F)
12.25 to 12.49 6 hours 3 hours
12.00 to 12.24 10 hours 5 hours
10.00 to 11.99 14 hours 7 hours
Below 10.00 18 hours 9 hours
STANDARD PROCEDURE - CONVENTIONAL
BATTERY CHARGING
Vehicles equipped with a diesel engine utilize a
unique spiral plate battery. This battery has a maxi-
mum charging voltage that must be used in order to
restore the battery to its full potential, failure to use
the spiral plate battery charging procedure could
result in damage to the battery or personal injury.Battery charging is the means by which the bat-
tery can be restored to its full voltage potential. A
battery is fully-charged when:
²Micro 420 electrical system tester indicates bat-
tery is OK.
²Three hydrometer tests, taken at one-hour inter-
vals, indicate no increase in the temperature-cor-
rected specific gravity of the battery electrolyte.
²Open-circuit voltage of the battery is 12.64 volts
or above.
WARNING: IF THE BATTERY SHOWS SIGNS OF
FREEZING, LEAKING, LOOSE POSTS, DO NOT
TEST, ASSIST-BOOST, OR CHARGE. THE BATTERY
MAY ARC INTERNALLY AND EXPLODE. PERSONAL
INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAMAGE MAY RESULT.
WARNING: EXPLOSIVE HYDROGEN GAS FORMS IN
AND AROUND THE BATTERY. DO NOT SMOKE,
USE FLAME, OR CREATE SPARKS NEAR THE BAT-
TERY. PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAM-
AGE MAY RESULT.
WARNING: THE BATTERY CONTAINS SULFURIC
ACID, WHICH IS POISONOUS AND CAUSTIC. AVOID
CONTACT WITH THE SKIN, EYES, OR CLOTHING.
IN THE EVENT OF CONTACT, FLUSH WITH WATER
AND CALL A PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY. KEEP OUT
OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
WARNING: IF THE BATTERY IS EQUIPPED WITH
REMOVABLE CELL CAPS, BE CERTAIN THAT EACH
OF THE CELL CAPS IS IN PLACE AND TIGHT
BEFORE THE BATTERY IS RETURNED TO SER-
VICE. PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAM-
AGE MAY RESULT FROM LOOSE OR MISSING
CELL CAPS.
CAUTION: Always disconnect and isolate the bat-
tery negative cable before charging a battery. Do
not exceed sixteen volts while charging a battery.
Damage to the vehicle electrical system compo-
nents may result.
CAUTION: Battery electrolyte will bubble inside the
battery case during normal battery charging. Elec-
trolyte boiling or being discharged from the battery
vents indicates a battery overcharging condition.
Immediately reduce the charging rate or turn off the
charger to evaluate the battery condition. Damage
to the battery may result from overcharging.
RSBATTERY SYSTEM8F-11
BATTERY (Continued)
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CAUTION: The battery should not be hot to the
touch. If the battery feels hot to the touch, turn off
the charger and let the battery cool before continu-
ing the charging operation. Damage to the battery
may result.
After the battery has been charged to 12.4 volts or
greater, retest the battery with the micro 420 tester
or perform a load test to determine the battery
cranking capacity. Refer to Standard Procedures for
the proper battery load test procedures. If the battery
will endure a load test, return the battery to service.
If the battery will not endure a load test, it is faulty
and must be replaced.
Clean and inspect the battery hold downs, tray,
terminals, posts, and top before completing battery
service. Refer to Battery System Cleaning for the
proper battery system cleaning procedures, and Bat-
tery System Inspection for the proper battery system
inspection procedures.
CHARGING A COMPLETELY DISCHARGED
BATTERY
The following procedure should be used to recharge
a completely discharged battery. Unless this proce-
dure is properly followed, a good battery may be
needlessly replaced.
(1) Measure the voltage at the battery posts with a
voltmeter, accurate to 1/10 (0.10) volt (Fig. 8). If the
reading is below ten volts, the battery charging cur-
rent will be low. It could take some time before the
battery accepts a current greater than a few milliam-
peres. Such low current may not be detectable on the
ammeters built into many battery chargers.
(2) Disconnect and isolate the battery negative
cable. Connect the battery charger leads. Some bat-
tery chargers are equipped with polarity-sensing cir-
cuitry. This circuitry protects the battery charger and
the battery from being damaged if they are improp-
erly connected. If the battery state-of-charge is toolow for the polarity-sensing circuitry to detect, the
battery charger will not operate. This makes it
appear that the battery will not accept charging cur-
rent. See the instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the battery charger for details on how to
bypass the polarity-sensing circuitry.
(3) Battery chargers vary in the amount of voltage
and current they provide. The amount of time
required for a battery to accept measurable charging
current at various voltages is shown in the Charge
Rate Table. If the charging current is still not mea-
surable at the end of the charging time, the battery
is faulty and must be replaced. If the charging cur-
rent is measurable during the charging time, the bat-
tery may be good and the charging should be
completed in the normal manner.
CHARGE RATE TABLE
Voltage Hours
16.0 volts maximum up to 10 min.
14.0 to 15.9 volts up to 20 min.
13.9 volts or less up to 30 min.
CHARGING TIME REQUIRED
The time required to charge a battery will vary,
depending upon the following factors:
²Battery Capacity- A completely discharged
heavy-duty battery requires twice the charging time
of a small capacity battery.
²Temperature- A longer time will be needed to
charge a battery at -18É C (0É F) than at 27É C (80É
F). When a fast battery charger is connected to a cold
battery, the current accepted by the battery will be
very low at first. As the battery warms, it will accept
a higher charging current rate (amperage).
²Charger Capacity- A battery charger that
supplies only five amperes will require a longer
charging time. A battery charger that supplies
twenty amperes or more will require a shorter charg-
ing time.
²State-Of-Charge- A completely discharged bat-
tery requires more charging time than a partially
discharged battery. Electrolyte is nearly pure water
in a completely discharged battery. At first, the
charging current (amperage) will be low. As the bat-
tery charges, the specific gravity of the electrolyte
will gradually rise.
The Conventional Battery Charging Time Table
gives an indication of the time required to charge a
typical battery at room temperature based upon the
battery state-of-charge and the charger capacity.
Fig. 8 Voltmeter - Typical
8F - 12 BATTERY SYSTEMRS
BATTERY (Continued)
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